[Footnote86:Seeanexcellentdissertationontheoriginandmigrationsofnations，intheMemoiresdel\'AcademiedesInscriptions，tom。xviii。p。48—71。Itisseldomthattheantiquarianandthephilosopheraresohappilyblended。]
Wars，andtheadministrationofpublicaffairs，aretheprincipalsubjectsofhistory；butthenumberofpersonsinterestedinthesebusyscenesisverydifferent，accordingtothedifferentconditionofmankind。Ingreatmonarchies，millionsofobedientsubjectspursuetheirusefuloccupationsinpeaceandobscurity。Theattentionofthewriter，aswellasofthereader，issolelyconfinedtoacourt，acapital，aregulararmy，andthedistrictswhichhappentobetheoccasionalsceneofmilitaryoperations。Butastateoffreedomandbarbarism，theseasonofcivilcommotions，orthesituationofpettyrepublics，^87raisesalmosteverymemberofthecommunityintoaction，andconsequentlyintonotice。Theirregulardivisions，andtherestlessmotions，ofthepeopleofGermany，dazzleourimagination，andseemtomultiplytheirnumbers。Theprofuseenumerationofkings，ofwarriors，ofarmiesandnations，inclinesustoforgetthatthesameobjectsarecontinuallyrepeatedunderavarietyofappellations，andthatthemostsplendidappellationshavebeenfrequentlylavishedonthemostinconsiderableobjects。
[Footnote87:ShouldwesuspectthatAthenscontainedonly21，000
citizens，andSpartanomorethan39，000?SeeHumeandWallaceonthenumberofmankindinancientandmoderntimes。
Note:Thisnumber，thoughtoopositivelystated，isprobablynotfarwrong，asanaverageestimate。OnthesubjectofAthenianpopulation，seeSt。Croix，Acad。desInscrip。xlviii。